Friday, October 16, 2009

45 Years for Shooting a Cop

A 24-year-old Berwyn man was sentenced to 45 years in prison today for shooting an off-duty Chicago police detective during a dispute over admittance to a bar.

Jonas Haro was found guilty by a jury in 2008 of attempted murder of a police officer for shooting the detective after Haro had been refused admittance to Fuggedaboudit in Berwyn on Dec. 5, 2004, because there was a private party in progress.

Haro later returned to the bar at the corner of Home Avenue and 16th Street yelling profanities and indicating he had gun. That prompted the detective and a Chicago police colleague, who were also armed, to follow Haro outside where they indicated they were police officers and wanted to talk to him.

But Haro led them to a nearby alley where he opened fire along with some of his fellow gang members who were waiting. The detective was shot through the hand but has since recovered and returned to duty, said Assistant State's Attorney Joe Keating.

Haro was eligible for 20 to 80 years in prison. Keating asked for a 60-year sentence citing Haro's juvenile and adult criminal record for possession of a stolen motor vehicle, aggravated battery and unlawful use of a weapon.

What's your opinion? I'm of two minds. On the one hand, I find the sentencing a bit excessive, yet I agree with the need to protect society from violent criminals. I feel it's wrong to sentence people more harshly because their crime was against the police, but in this case, maybe it's best. With the minimum 20-year sentence, he'd probably get out a fairly young man and even less equipped to live in society. Yet, 45 years seems like a lot. If you give a sentence like that for shooting someone in the hand who recovers completely, where do you go from there? You don't leave much room for punishing worse offenses.

"I find the sentencing a bit excessive, yet I agree with the need to protect society from violent criminals. I feel it's wrong to sentence people more harshly because their crime was against the police, but in this case, maybe it's best. With the minimum 20-year sentence, he'd probably get out a fairly young man and even less equipped to live in society. Yet, 45 years seems like a lot. If you give a sentence like that for shooting someone in the hand who recovers completely, where do you go from there? You don't leave much room for punishing worse offenses."

MikeB, I think we are almost in agreement on this. I too feel that 45 years is very excessive when murderers get far lessor sentences. While I have the utmost respect for law enforcement in general, I do not think that they are a higher, more protected class of citizen.

With the crummy pay most police get, I believe the whole 'stronger sentences for crimes against police' tries to offer them a bit more protection.

Really though...excessive? Never mind that the only thing he did was shoot someone in the hand, he tried to KILL THEM, while having shown evidence that he already had multiple convictions for other crimes.

Geez, you complain constantly about guns being a problem, then want to coddle someone who uses one illegally in the very way you claim is the problem?

Anyway, with the messed up criminal system in this country, he'll probably be out on 'good behavior' in much less time, and probably be back on the street committing more crimes before you know it!

cj, I'm afraid you're right about his probably being back out committing crimes before we know it. And you're right about my confused and confusing positions on gun crime and criminals. I am against violent criminals who use guns, but then when I look at a specific case in which the sentence seems excessive and I wonder if it's because it was done to a cop, I'm against that too. It's not easy being me.

My one hope for excessive sentences like this is to make someone actually think about their actions. I'm sure the guy pulling the trigger in this case gave no thought to it while he was acting...but using a popular term, "If it saves just one life" as his cousin/friend/accomplice/fellow gang member pauses to consider for a minute thinking, "Hey, Jonas did this and got stuck away for 4 decades...maybe I'll try not to pull the trigger tonight".

I think our criminal justice system has become such a joke, being caught just isn't that much of a threat any more. I can't find the darn report, but I seem to remember a set of interviews with convicted violent criminals who were as much or more afraid of getting shot by an intended victim than getting caught by police.

Maybe instead of all the media hoopla about the crime, they should make the sentences people receive the actual front-page news story. Might sink the whole idea of 'consequences for actions' in on people.

I love how everyone has an opinion on a case they know absolutely nothing about. This kid was no where near the crime scene and had nothing to do with this crime. He was targeting by the police simply for being a known gang member. The guy Joseph Monoro, also a known gang member with a lenthy background, who actually committed the crime got away with it because his father at the time was the Cheif Detective of the Berwyn Police Department. It's a shame that he is sitting in jail for a crime he did not commit. However I agree that our justice system is a joke and for this reason Joey was able to be back on the streets to commit many more crimes and eventually getting caught but not without the price of anothers life.

I have to agree with Anonymous on this one. Poor Jonas was not involved in this crime and yet he is the one who is serving out a 45 year sentence. There are many men serving out prison sentence for crimes that were committed by Joseph Montoro but because his daddy was a detective for the Berwyn Police Department these crimes were pinned on everyone else but Joseph. My own cousin was incarcerated as a juvenile and send to a juvenile prison out of state for a crime that was committed by Joseph. While Jonas is being punished for a crime he didn't commit, Joseph Montoro has been out on streets committing more crimes like when he robbing SUBWAYS a few months ago.